Supporting device for reinforcing-bars of concrete-steel construction.



No. 824,595. PATENTED JUNE 26, 1906 E. M. SGOFIELD. SUPPORTING DEVICE PORREINFORGING BARS 0P CONCRETE STEEL CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 21. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

PATENTED JUNE 26, 1906.

E. M. SCOFIELD. SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR REINFORCING BARS 0F CONCRETE STEEL CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION FILED 00121, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

CO E o zj m 0 O- 0* 0 o o UNITED STATES PATENT oFFioE.

EDSON M. SCOFIELD, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR REINFORCING-BARS 0F CONCRETE-STEEL CONSTRUCTION v Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 26, 1906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDsoN M. SOOFIELD, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain Improvements in Supporting Devices for Reinforcing-Bars of Concrete-Steel Construction, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists in a novel device for supporting reinforcing-bars, such as are employed in concrete-steel construction, at definite distances from each other and from the surface or body of material upon which the concrete is to be placed, and more particularly contemplates the provision of a device of the character noted for use in sup orting reinforcing-bars when the surface or f dundation under the same is of such a nature as to give insufficient or yielding support for s acers of the ordinary construction. Sucli a device is particularly applicable when sand, cinders, or similar unstable or yielding material constitutes the foundation upon which concrete is to be placed.

A further object of the invention is, to rovide a supporting device for reinforcingars of such a nature that it will not objectionably sink into a body of sand or cinders when used to support such bar or bars in a definite position a ove the same.

I secure the above-noted objects as hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a length of my improved supporting device and a series of reinforcing-bars carried thereby. Fig. 2 is a plan view further illustrating my invention. Fig. 3 is i a sectional elevation illustrating a body of concrete su ported on relatively yielding material and provided with reinforcing-bars held in suitable position by means of my improved supporting device. Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively a plan and a side elevation of a form of my invention in which the supporting device for reinforcingbars is in the form of a wire or rod suitably bent and then riveted to a piece of sheet material. Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively a plan and a side elevation of a form of my invention inwhich the upwardly-turned flaps or tongues for the support of the-reinforcingbars a e rmed without cutting into the body of the piece of sheet material. Figs. 8

and 9 are respectively a plan and a side ele-.

vation of a form of my invention in which a spacer-bar of the form shown and described in my ap lication for patent, Serial N 0. 219,146, filed August 1, 1904, is provided with a sheet of fiat material to prevent it sinking into a soft or yielding foundation. Fig. 10 is a form of my invention in which the tongues for the support of the reinforcingbars are formed by suitable cuts made in the -interior portions of a sheet of material, said tongues tially vertical position; and Figs. 11 and 12 are respectively a plan and a side elevation of another form of the invention designed with a view to the formation of cleavage planes due to the use of sheet material.

In the above drawings, A re resents an elongated piece of sheet materia cut at certam suita le dies or otherwise .to form tongues which are bent upwardly, as indicated at a, until they are substantially perpendicular to eing afterward bent into a substanpreventing as far as possible points in and adjacent to its edges by the plane of the piece A and are provided with notches or recesses in their upper edge for the reception of the reinforcing-bars B. Said tongues preferably have openings through them which permit of the passage of concrete when the spacing-piece is in use. The cuts or openings in the body of said piece A, from which the tongues a have been displaced, also serve as means whereby the bond between the concrete and spacing? piece is materially strengthened.

It will be noted that in order to avoid weakening the body of concrete, which ultimately surrounds the supportingdevice and the reinforcing-bars, I stag er the upwardlyturned pieces A-that is, 1 so arrange them that adjacent tongues shall be formed in opposite edges of the piece A or shall lie in more than one plane when in their turned-up position.

When in use, a number of pieces A are provided, depending upon the length of the reinforcing-bars employed, and it will be seen that owing to their relatively large extent of flat surface said pieces A have little or no tendenc to sink into the material of the foundation C even though this be soft and yielding.

- There are two or more of the s pieces A for eachseries of the rei ars, and it will be seen that these latter are acingion surface of the foundation material and are, moreover, held at fixed distances from each other, so that the'body of concrete D is placed under and around them Without requiring any special labor or attention to keep them properly spaced. By reason of the fact that the various tongues a of each spacingpiece are staggered the body of concrete is not weakened by closely-situated series of 1c plane surfaces along which there would be a tendency for the concrete structure to fail,

since by such arrangement of bar-supportingtongues its cleavage-points are separate iromeach other by relatively great distances. 1 If desired, in forming the supporting device I may employ strips of sheet material having laterally-projecting flaps or to ues, as shown in dotted lines at a in fifhich tonglues are bent at right angles to the body of t e supporting-sheet, so as to accomplish the same end as that attained by the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Again, by means of suitable (lies I may make a succes- 1011 of cuts in the interior of the body of sheet 2 5 material, as shown in Fig. 10, and afterward bend u wardly the partially cut-out portions (1 for t e support of the reinforcing-bars, as above noted. In this, as well as in others of the cases noted, it is desirable that the turned- 0 up portions shall lie in different though para e lanes in order as far as possible to avoid the ormatio'n of continuous planes along which cleavage of the finished structure might occur. A modification of this arrange- 3 5 ment is illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12, in which the turned-up portions a have open ings through them, so as to permit of the passage ofconcrete or mortar, as is also shown in Figs. 1 and 2, thereby avoiding the plane sur- 0 faces otherwise formed by the flat turned-up portions. In such a case the ie'ce of sheet material would be suitably cut y dies, after which the outlined supporting member a in Fig. 12 would be bent upwardly, leaving a tongue e 01 undisturbed material.

A.noth;er form which my invention might take is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, in which the spacers for the reinforcing-bars consist of Suite y-b.ent rods or pieces of wire. a, each of which is riveted to the supporting body A of sheet material. Said wires or rods are preferably formed with loops 0, for the reception of the reinforcin -bars B, and, if desired, they may be extenc ed upwardly, as indi- 5 5 cated at a so as to form a vertical tie into the body of concrete.

If desired, the self-supporting spacer-bars described and. claimed in my ap hcation for patent, Serial No. 219,146, file .A ust 1,

19.04, may be used in connection with a fiat iece of sheet material without departing om my invention "Said spacer-bar a, is so constructed as to' "be self-sup orting, and when it is necessary or advisa le to use it upon a toundation 9i yielding or soft mate rial it may be simply laid or supported upon elongated pieces of sheet material, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. I From the above it will be seen that it is not necessary to form the upwardly-extending members for the reception of the reinforcingbars from the body of the piece of sheet 'material, since in some cases it will be preferable to em loy the wire or rod construction illustrate in Figs. 4;, 5, 8, and 9. 7=

While-I have in the above specification described my improved spacer as employed to support reinforcing bars above .a yielding foundation, I do not desire to limit myself to such use, for it is possible Without departing from m invention .to em lloy' various forms of the device, as lathing or the support of plaster, &c. In such case the flat su .porting plate A would have a series of po orations',

j as indicated at a en Fig. 11, or would be otherwise roughened in order toprovide helding-surfaces for the plastenthe plate itself be held in position by the portions a, wliifil are embedded in the concrete.

I claim as my invention 1. As a new article of manufacture, .a sup I porting device for reinforcing-bars, the same. consisting of a relatively flat elongated piece of sheetmaterialhavin cuts iomi'ingtongues, said tongues being hen upwardl' and 5 their upper edges recessed tor e receipt of reinforcing-bars, certain .of said tongues heforme to .oliiect in different lines so as to e staggere re atively to each other, substantially .as described.

' 2 As a new article of manufacture, a supporting device for reinforcing-bars, the ame consistiug of a relatively fiat elongated piece of sheet material having cuts forming tongues,

said tongues being bent upwardly and having their upper edges recessed for the receipt reinforcing bars, there being openi I through the ton use to ermit the passage 0 concrete, &c., su stantidll-y as described.

. 3.. The combination of .afoundation of rela- 1 1o tively yielding material, spacers on said foundation consisti of .a piece or ieces of horizontally-plac sheet materia having up wardlye I I OJGCtlJIg supports for holding remforcingare at predetermined distances from 1 1 the foundation and from each other, reinforcing-bars carried by Said supports, and a .body of concrete on the foundation surround mg said reinforcing-bars, substantially as described. a

4. The combination of a body of concrete with reinforcing-bars and supporting devices for said bars, said devices consist of rela tively fiat elongated pieces of sheet material each having a series of projecting to ues I2 5 constructed with bar-seats in which saifiars are carried, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a sheet metal: spacer having ortionsprejectatan angle to -the remain er and construct to support reinforcing-bars, said spacer having a sub: stantially flat supporting body rovided name to this specification in the presence of with openings for the reception 0 plaster, two subscribing-Witnesses.

with a, series of reinforcing-bars supported on I EDSON Mi SCOFIELD the upper ends of said projecting, portions, Witnesses:

and a body of concreteenyelopiri" said bars E. S. RUE,

and spacer, substantially as deseri ed. J. O. MCALPINE.

In testimony whereof I have signed my 

